Jury acquits man of 2005 Rockford Pizza Hut slaying

Friday

ROCKFORD — Charles Knight, 49, of Chicago was found not guilty of first-degree murder by a jury before Judge Joseph McGraw on Thursday, stunning the family of his alleged victim.

ROCKFORD — Charles Knight, 49, of Chicago was found not guilty of first-degree murder by a jury before Judge Joseph McGraw on Thursday, stunning the family of his alleged victim.

Knight had been accused of robbing homicide victim Joshua Irwin, 21, on April 21, 2005, at gunpoint in a parking lot at a Pizza Hut on Auburn Street. Knight was alleged to have shot Irwin in the head, killing him during an ensuing gun battle after the Rockford man chased Knight.

Prosecutors argued Irwin had pulled out his own gun and pursued Knight, opening fire as Knight attempted to escape.

“I can’t believe it,” said Irwin’s mother, Gloria Wallace. “I never expected a not guilty verdict. I never figured this man would walk away from what he took from me. He took my son.”

Wallace takes little solace in the fact that Knight after pleading guilty in 2010 is serving a 25-year sentence for aggravated battery with a firearm and burglary at a restaurant in Lake County saying “he’s not serving any time for what he did to me, for what he took from me and my family.”

Assistant Deputy State’s Attorney James Brun had argued Knight was seen by witnesses casing the Pizza Hut parking lot where Irwin was with his associates. Bags of heroin, cocaine and marijuana were found in the van they had occupied, leading to suggestions they had been dealing drugs there.

Brun ultimately seemed to argue that Knight had targeted Irwin in an attempt to steal drugs or drug money.

“Charles Knight went there with the sole purpose to commit an armed robbery,” Brun said. “Let’s call this what it is: A drug rip-off that went bad.”

But jurors appeared to agree with Public Defender Edward Light that prosecutors had not been able to prove there was an armed robbery, one key witness wasn’t reliable and another alleged victim said there was no “robbery at all.”

Irwin was seen chasing Knight, firing at least three bullets from a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Knight returned fire, striking Irwin in the head and killing him.

Light said he couldn’t explain why Irwin attacked Knight. But Light also said he didn’t have to do so because prosecutors had the burden to prove Knight’s guilt.

Light raised a series of questions: If there was an armed robbery, why did Knight leave cell phones behind? Why did he leave a handgun in the center console that Irwin could use to retaliate? Why did he throw the keys in front of the van where it didn’t take long to find? Why didn’t Knight take the real-looking counterfeit cash that was in view? Why didn’t he take the drugs?

The story didn’t add up and the witnesses who told jurors they were the victims of an armed robbery weren’t trustworthy, Light said.

“There was no armed robbery,” Light said. “And if there was no armed robbery, then there was no first-degree murder. They didn’t prove it.”

Jeff Kolkey: 815-987-1374; jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.